Favorites

Much of our lives revolve around finding our favorite things… people, places, Italian restaurants, etc. These discoveries become treasures that we hold onto. Even trite things become favorites. I have a favorite Starbucks, a favorite song, and a favorite place to get gasoline. Some of our favorites reach much deeper into us and resonate our very core. My first real kiss that was facilitated by my first best friend (and all-time best and favorite wingman)!

Within these favorites I have seen a commonality. An almost army of favorites that most of us have had serving at our sides for all of our lives. They serve us for varying amounts of years, and each of their tours of duty leave a forever impact on us. They are our favorites. They are the dogs that go back further than we even fully recall and stretch beyond the visible horizon of our mortality. Their toenails provide tap dancing rhythms that mean more to us than any Gregory Hines performance. On our saddest days, that damp nose gently pressing against our bare shin means more to us than that first kiss. Their loyalty sets a standard that is never fully measured, but stays true long after so many BFF bracelets tarnish and are discarded.

Strangely, they know us better than we know ourselves. While we put on a brave face and post a funny meme on facebook, they somehow sense when we need some extra cuddling even before we do. They offer us only the truth. And their’s is a loving and positive truth. “Be the person that your dog thinks you are” is a wonderful reminder of just how amazingly supportive they are for each of us. It is humbling how far below that expectation we reside, but us through their eyes is aspirational… maybe even motivational.

So when that dreaded day arrives… as it does always much too soon, we remember that they were our favorite… and that we were their’s as well. Somewhere within that loss we hear joyous echos replaying playful barks, tummy rubs, and a few too many of their favorite treats. We honor them with the memories that they gifted us.